It’s harvest time and I am touring wineries in Niagara’s Twenty Valley. Skies blue or grey, the valley glows with countless shades of amber, gold and copper. Approaching 13th Street Winery, I admire the bold sculptures in the garden silhouetting the sky: dark beams of wood bent under the weight of another, twisted black metal atop a small hill, running wolves in the distance. The verandas surrounding the crisp white buildings invite guests to relax and enjoy a baked good from the farmhouse bakery. It is after all famous for its butter tarts. But this is a quest for another day. Today, I am here for wine. I enter the…

“This is going to be fun,” enthuses Krissy, my host at Creekside Estate Winery. “Let’s taste the wine from the front yard and the back yard.” She’s grinning as she lines up stemless glasses on the smooth-tiled tasting bar in front of me. A bright red Massey Harris tractor is displayed in the front yard, close to the road, where cars and trucks rumble by, kicking up dust. The backyard block by contrast is serene: a small pond trickles and lush late-season hydrangeas bloom. Two plots of land in close proximity, yet producing very distinct Sauvignon Blancs. The grassy nose from the front yard wine* is bold, with a punch…